This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent Applications No. 9-207221 filed on Jul. 15, 1997, and No. 9-210084 filed on Jul. 17, 1997, which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control switch device for an endoscope duct and, more particularly, to a construction of a control switch device for carrying out the opening/closing control and flow rate control of a duct such as an air/water feed duct and suction duct provided in an endoscope.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An endoscope device is provided with, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), which is an image pick-up device, at the distal end thereof to pick up an image of the interior of body being observed, which is irradiated via a light guide, for observation, and also can feed air and water to an observation window etc. at the distal end or suck the content in the body being observed. Specifically, in the endoscope, an air feed duct and water feed duct connected to air/water feed means are disposed, and a suction duct, which is connected to suction means and used also as a treatment tool insertion channel, is disposed. As a control valve device (mechanical opening/closing valve) for these ducts, there is provided a control section in which an air/water feed valve and a suction valve are integrated with the endoscope.
According to the operation of the aforesaid air/water feed valve, for example, air is fed by opening the air feed duct at the time of a first-stage pushing operation, and water is fed by closing the air feed duct and opening the water feed duct at the time of a second-stage pushing operation. Also, the suction duct is opened by the pushing operation of the suction valve so that filth and the like in the body being observed can be sucked.